Educators, and more specifically principals and admininstrators of schools which operate a lunchroom for students have expressed a desire to have a sound level indicating device to use in teaching students the art of self-discipline.
Educators have attempted to use devices disclosed in prior art, but such devices have many drawbacks, the most notable being that most devices in the prior art give an audible alarm when noise exceeds a predetermined decibel level of unacceptability, however, that predetermined decibel level of unacceptability tends to exceed the decibel level of the alarm used in devices to indicate the presence of excessive noise levels. The solution to this problem is not to couple an alarm of a higher decibel level capacity to indicating devices since that would add to the noise pollution level, which is precisely what the educators wish to reduce and to control. A more desirable solution is to have a sound level indicator which gives a visible signal when noise levels exceed a predetermined decibel level of unacceptability.
The device which educators have specifically described as being desirable is one which gives visiual indications in the same fashion as a traffic light wherein the green signal indicates an acceptable noise level, a switch to yellow indicates that noise is becoming excessive, and a red light would indicate noise being monitored is of a decibel level at or beyond a predetermined level of unacceptability.
While numerous sound level indicating devices have been disclosed in the prior art, none of them are specifically designed, nor are they readily adaptable to be used in the fashion which educators wish to employ a sound level indicating device. The drawbacks to existing devices are numerous:
One drawback to existing sound level indicators in general is, they are not designed to be used for teaching students the art of self-discipline.
Of devices which were designed to be used in teaching the art of self-discipline to students, many drawbacks exist:
(1) One such drawback is that devices of the prior art use audible alarms to signal students when noise exceeds a predetermined level of unacceptability;
(2) Another drawback in devices of the prior art which do utilize a visible signal to indicate noise above a predetermined level of unacceptability is, the visible signal is given by small LED's as digital readouts, or as ripple effects in a plurality of ten (10) lamps, and are not readily noticeable by a large group of people in a large room.
(3) Another drawback in prior art device incorporating visible signals is, the devices are designed to respond to sounds created by a single individual;
(4) Another drawback in prior art devices incorporating visible signals is, the devices are designed to respond to isolated occurrences of noise;
(5) Another drawback in prior art devices incorporating visible signals is, the devices are designed to respond when noise produced by students is of a decibel level which has been predetermined as being of insufficient loudness.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide educators with a device specifically designed for assisting in teaching students the art of self-discipline.
Another purpose of the present invention is provide educators with a sound level indicating device which gives its alarm in a visible manner.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sound level indicating device which gives a visible signal by utilizing lamps which require alternating current and can vary in wattage to provide a signal which will be readily noticeable by a large group of people in a large room.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sound level indicating device which monitors noise created by a large group of people.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sound level indicating device which responds to noise when said noise is in excess of a predetermined time length with said time being measured by the duration of the noise.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sound level indicating device which ignores sounds of a duration shorter than a predetermined length of time.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sound level indicating device which gives a visible signal to indicate when noise is at or below a predetermined decibel level of acceptability.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sound level indicating device which gives a visible signal to indicate when noise is in excess of a predetermined decibel level of acceptability, but not in excess of a predetermined decibel level of unacceptability.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a sound level indicating device which gives a visible signal to indicate when noise is in excess of a predetermined decibel level of unacceptability.